Oppn paralyses both Houses over law and order, cane prices

SummaryBoth Houses of the UP legislature were paralysed on Monday as opposition parties protested against the deteriorating law and order and delay in announcing the state advisory price (SAP) of sugar cane by the SP government.

Both Houses of the UP legislature were paralysed on Monday as opposition parties protested against the deteriorating law and order and delay in announcing the state advisory price (SAP) of sugar cane by the SP government.

In the Assembly as well as the Council, trouble started as soon as the Houses assembled and question hour had to be abandoned. Later, as presiding officers appeals for order went unheeded, both Houses were adjourned until Tuesday.

In both Houses, the main Opposition Bahujan Samaj Party led the protests, and other parties joined in. In the Assembly, BSP members led by Leader of Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya trooped into the well, raising slogans, displaying banners and sporting caps which had slogans against the “poor law and order” situation in the state. Next, RLD members joined them, demanding announcement of the SAP for sugarcane. BJP and Congress members also joined in.

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey requested them several times to take their seats but the opposition members did not listen. BSP’s Ramveer Upadhyay stood on his chair, shouting slogans, while other MLAs reached reporters’ desk.

As the pandemonium continued, the House was adjourned twice for 10 minutes and later till 12.20 pm, but the opposition members continued their protest. There was no response from the treasury benches, except for occasional remarks from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan.

The Speaker called a meeting of party leaders in his chamber twice, but could not break the ice.

Amid the pandemonium, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav presented the supplementary budgetary proposals. Other papers were also tabled. The House was then adjourned until Tuesday.

It was the same story in the Legislative Council, which was also adjourned until Tuesday, after the question hour became a casualty of disorder.

Uma Bharti, BJP MLA from Charkhari, attended the Assembly for the first time on Monday, but stayed only for a few minutes.